Improvement in steam-boiler feeders



Cdard tatra @anni @Wim Luons FootrF, oF NORTH FAIRFIELD, oieiro.

Lederwaren No. 111,116, dared January 24, 1871.

lM-PRQVEMENT IN' ST'EM-BOILER FEEDERS.

'. lhe Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of 'the same.

r,Figure 2 is a side View,

Figure 3 is a view of the top.

Like .letters of reference refer to like several views.

The nature of` this invention relates to a waterfeeder for steam-boilers, the object thereof being to indicate when the'waterV in the boiler is at or below the water-line, and, when below said line,l to cause a supply .of water to the boiler by operating certain valves. l

It also relates to the construction of the feeder, which is s uch that it can be adjusted to any given water-line, high or low, in the saine boiler, as hereinafter more fully described, it being an improvementof a former feeder for which United States VLetters Pat ent were granted tome April 19,1870.

A represents a chamber, in which are arranged the valves B C, also indicated by the dotted lines in g. 1.

Said valves are thesarne as those in my former machine, and are operated in the sarneway for the same purpose, by means of a vibratory lever or valve-lifter, D, Figure 3. v

parts in the Said lever is operated by the shaft E, to theoiiter end of which is attached an arm, F.

To said arm is attached an ai-rn, G, by means of a set-screw, a, passing through a slotted arc, H, of the arm Gr.

Said'arrn is secured to a shaft, I, one end of which enters the hub of the arm Ffso that the two ,arms

. whereas the opposite end is or may be connected to a steam-whistle, which said lever is intended to operate `in the manner as hereinafter shown.

The practical use of this device is for regulating the supply of water to steam-boilers, and for changing the water-line, either above or below a standard line of safety ordinarily used vfor working the engine, which changing of the line may be required for reasons hereinafter set forth.

The working of this apparatus is as follows:

It is attached to the boiler, at any convenient point, so that the shaft I may penetrate it.

To' the endof said shaft is connected a oat, which, when the water in the boiler is at the ordinary height,

or at the line' of safety, the lioat and arm whereby it is connected to the shaft I, are horizontahwhich position of the'ioat and arm opens the valvesjust enough to` allow sucient water to low into the boilerrto continue it at the lino of safety, or the ordinary water-line. In the event the water falls below said line the float also falls and opens the valves, allowing a larger snpply of water to the boiler until it rises again to the water-lino; and in the event thewater rises above said line the float also rises'and closes the valves, thereby shutting off a further supply of water until it descends to or below-the standard water-line.

This operation of the lloat and valves islike that of my former apparatus but in that apparatus the waterfoam would rnn over with the steam vinto the cylin- It is often required to cleanthe. boiler, by blowing off the stearn and water together. To do this eect-V nally the boiler is allowed to lill nearly up with water. Again,should the boiler be a leaky one` it becomes. necessarygon ystopping for the night, to ilhthe boiler Anearly np, so that in the morning there shall be left in the bcilersulhcient water with which to get up steam. i

This could not be donc witlr my former apparatus, for if more steam-space was needed, and which can only be obtained by loweringof the water in the boiler, such loweringof the water would cause the lloat to fall and open the valves, therebyl allowing more water to flow in, and hence giving no more room or steamspace.

On the other hand, should it be necessary, for the rea-son aforesaid, to ll the boiler above the water-line, it could not be done, for the float on rising above said line would close the valves, thereby shutting oli` the water.

To avoid this objection to my first apparatus, and canse it to operate so that the water may till the boiler above the waterline,or fall below it', as the case may be, Iconnect thc float-shaft I and the valve-shaft E to cach other by means of the arms F G and the setscrew a thus the position of the index b, fig. 1, is such as to indicate the standard Water-line.

The oat during this height ofthe water will be in a horizontal position, as indicated by the dotted line c, which will open the valves just enough to allow a sufficient quantity of water to supply the ordinary waste.

Now, should more steam-space be needed, thewater must be lowered to a lower line, or one below the line c. This is done by'loosening the screw a, thereby freeing the arms F G from each other. The arm G may now be moved in direction of the arrow, causing the float to fall to the line e, which will now be the water-line, as the index has not been, moved. The valves therefore remain open the same distance as when the float was at the lineic, hence no more water will be admit-A ted to the boiler than was admitted before, and yet the water-line is below the standard line c.

'It will be obvious that, on the ascent of the float above the line e, the valves will be closed the same as when theioat was in the position indicated by the cated by the dotted line f, assuming a new waterline morel or less above the line 0,'as may, be'required.

The index is allowed to remain at the igure 3, which holds the valves open the same distance as before, so that the sam'e amount of water is allowed to flow into the boiler, 'and no more, as the valves will. be closed on raising the oat above thel new line f, but which will be opened more and more as the float descends below said line.

By this device it will be seen that the float and valves can be adjusted to any water-line that may be desired, by simply loosening the screw a and moving the arm G in either direction so far as maybe required for a new water-line, and then tightening the screw for holdingthe two arms F and G together.

On changing the water-line, should a larger or lesser quantity of water be required, the arm F, which opmoved-so as to open the valves more or less, a's the case may be, and thus regulate the amount of' water supplied to the boiler.

The purpose of the lever M, as aforesaid, isvfor onerating a steam-whistle,4 thus:

The whistle is attached to the end of the lever by any convenient means. When the water falls in the boiler below the water-line the iloat falls therewith, which 4will force the linger J' against the arm h of the right-angle lever K, which will cause the other arm of the 'angularlever, seen resting upon the lever M, and wherehy'said lever is depressed, to slip therefrom, which will allow the end of the lever M t0 spring up, it being actuated by the spring N. This springing up of the lever operates the whistle, thereby giving the alarm orA notice that the water is dangerously below the water-line.

Claim.

f What I claim as myinventiomand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arms F G, as arranged -to operatelin relation to each other, and in combination with the shaft E and valves and shaft I and lioat, in the manner as and for the purpose set forth.

LUGUS FOOIE.

Witnesses: y W. H. BURRIDGE, J. H. BURRIDGE.

eratesthe valves by. means of the shaft E, can be 

